With the magnitude of trade with Pakistan increasing, the Union government is also set to give its nod to a multi-crore plan to develop Wagah-Attari as a state-of-the art dry port.

According to the ambitious proposal, the Wagah check-post will have three separate entries for visitors, cargo and VVIPs to the neighbouring country.

The nearby Attari railway station may be shifted close to the International Border to reduce security requirements for the bi-weekly Samjhauta Express.

Submitted to the Union home ministry by the Punjab government, the proposal enlists acquisition of over 30 acres of land around the check post for construction of cargo terminals, visitors' galleries and offices for the Customs and Immigration departments.

The state government prepared the proposal in consultation with the Border Security Force that mans the check post and the Customs and Immigration departments.

The state government will acquire the land for parking, construction of hotels and restaurants and for quarantine facilities.

Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, who visited Attari recently, had also consented to shifting of the railway station.

However, this decision will only be taken after high-level consultations in Delhi, a senior railway officials said at Amritsar.

Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Kirandeep Singh Bhullar said the Special Task Force headed by state Chief secretary K R Lakhanpal has already toured the area for on the ground assessment.

''Work on transforming Wagah into a modern port would be taken up on priority basis,'' Bhullar said.